Building a connected workforce starts with better employee experience technology

Today’s workplace can feel like one big game of musical chairs. Some employees never use the same desk twice, some have their unofficial ‘home desk,’ while others rarely come into the office to begin with. With so many moving parts, building a connected workforce is significantly harder than it once was. That’s why you need employee experience (EX) technology.

Below, we’ll cover the impact of a connected workplace, the importance of employee experience tools, and how technology can increase employee engagement.

It doesn’t matter whether your company prioritizes remote work, hybrid work, or you have a traditional, full-time in-office arrangement. Employee experience should always be at the forefront of decision-making. Great digital tools will help you make this a reality.

What is a connected workforce and why does it matter?

A connected workforce refers to employees who can seamlessly communicate, collaborate, and access necessary resources, regardless of location. This concept has become essential in modern work environments, where hybrid and flexible work are now the norm. A well-connected workforce fosters better engagement, higher productivity, and a more cohesive company culture.

Organizations prioritizing connectivity benefit from improved collaboration, streamlined workflows, and higher employee retention. Without the right tools, employees may struggle with miscommunication, inefficient processes, and disengagement.

As we’ve already mentioned, a dispersed workforce makes meeting each employee’s needs a challenge. Information silos start to form. New hires may have unclear onboarding policies. When you use technology to manage the workplace, these challenges become easier to solve.

The evolution of employee experience in the hybrid workplace

Employee experience has transformed in recent years, particularly with the rise of hybrid work models. Before the pandemic in 2020, employees were expected to be in the office full-time, working within a physical space designed for productivity. Remote work was a rarity.

Now, the workplace is more dynamic, requiring businesses to rethink how they support and promote employee productivity. Though this global wave of remote work was initially introduced for safety reasons, business leaders quickly saw the operational benefits of a flexible workspace, one of which was a more enjoyable employee experience.

Technology and dispersed workforces have forced leaders to pay attention to more than just the physical office experience; they must also consider the digital employee experience. Businesses that invest in EX technology see increased employee satisfaction, reduced turnover, and better overall performance, no matter where their employees work.

Employee experience tools to enhance productivity

Employee experience technology is crucial in keeping teams connected, whether they work in the office, remotely, or hybrid. These tools facilitate communication, enable seamless collaboration, and provide employees with the necessary resources to perform at their best.

Desk booking software

These tools allow employees to reserve desks in person on kiosks, or before they set foot in the office using mobile apps or communication tools like Slack or Teams. This can eliminate the uncertainty of who will be in the office and when, allowing space planners and facilities teams to strategically plan for capacity on a given day. It also significantly streamlines the actual booking process, allowing you to ditch traditional sign-up sheets. 

Intuitive desk booking tools support employee well-being by offering the power of choice. Individuals can set up recurring bookings of their favorite desk and find a spot near their coworkers. If your office has more flexible seating policies and employees aren’t assigned to a specific desk, desk booking software makes it easier to grab an ideal seat last-minute, or practice desk lending. This level of agility helps teams maximize space usage and spot opportunities to reduce space and lower costs and energy consumption. 

Meeting room booking software

Many employees have likely had the experience of arriving at a meeting room only to find it occupied. With a room booking system, teams get full visibility into which rooms are booked and when. To further improve the workplace experience, you can leverage sensors or WiFi that show room occupancy in real-time and automatically release rooms if no one checks in. 

Room booking systems can also help teams understand how much space they need. Is the largest conference room rarely booked? Do teams prefer smaller spaces that can accommodate just a few employees for ad hoc meetings? Room booking systems help you answer these questions so you can better plan and reconfigure spaces to match how teams actually work. 

Establishing hybrid work initiatives is only the start—let your employees choose where and how they get work done. 

Looking for a seamless way to manage desk reservations? Learn more about OfficeSpace Desk Booking.

Badge systems and sensors

To enhance the workplace experience, teams can consider implementing badge systems and IoT sensors to streamline the workflow. Badge systems improve security by controlling access to your spaces, and can also be leveraged to track desk and room usage. This way, employees can see available desks and conference rooms in real time.

Sensors, WiFi, and badge swipes can also replace timesheets and time-tracking apps to monitor attendance. OfficeSpace’s Presence check-in feature, for example, automatically signs employees into their assigned desks when they enter the building, so they can start their workday without additional steps. By surfacing the data in OfficeSpace, facilities teams don’t have to spend hours manually “cleaning” badge data. Instead, the platform normalizes the data across various sources, so you get an accurate picture of occupancy and utilization, not just attendance. This automation reduces administrative burden, saves time, and enhances workplace efficiency.

Smart offices also leverage sensors to monitor various elements of your space, like air quality, lighting, and temperature, to help teams create a more comfortable working environment. 

Wayfinding technology

Picture entering an office building for the first time as a new employee. What are the first questions that arise? Where do I check in? Where is my company’s office? Where is my workstation? These are all questions your employees will have in their first days on the premises. These are all questions you can eliminate with the right wayfinding technology. 

Wayfinding technology, including interactive digital floor plans displayed on kiosks or apps, helps employees navigate office spaces with ease, whether they need to locate an available desk, meeting space, office amenities, or their colleagues. These tools are also valuable to delivery drivers, visitors, and clients. 

Request management software

Streamlining facilities requests and work order management can be a major win for employee experience. Request management software allows two-way communication between employees and facilities managers when areas of the office need attention. These tools enable teams to resolve requests faster, provide context, and even automatically assign requests to delegates. 

Visitor management software

Visitor management software is like having an incredibly efficient, multi-tasking receptionist who’s always on duty. When a new client, delivery, or the much-awaited catering for today’s luncheon arrives, your team gets instantly notified. Ideal visitor management software streamlines the check-in process, offering a smooth, professional first impression to visitors and clients. 

These smart systems mean less time spent monitoring entrances and handling walk-ins, and more time for staff to focus on higher impact tasks. They also add a layer of protection for physical offices. By controlling who enters and exits your premises, visitor management systems (VMS) can aid in safeguarding your employees, your property, and your data.

Collaboration and communication platforms

Collaboration and communication platforms are non-negotiable for a positive employee experience. These tools allow team members to communicate in real-time, share updates, and work on projects together, regardless of location. 

Whether through messaging apps like Microsoft Teams, or full-scale project collaboration tools, seamless internal communication fosters productivity and engagement.

Analytics and data-driven insights

Workplace analytics provide organizations with valuable insights into how employees interact with office spaces, helping leaders make better long-term decisions. These analytics track office utilization, employee behavior, and engagement trends, enabling organizations to optimize workplace strategies and improve efficiency.

However, data doesn’t tell the entire story and can sometimes leave out key context. Employee feedback during performance reviews or 1:1 meetings is important for gauging employee sentiment, preferences, and behavior. Data is essential, but conversations with your team are still deeply important.

Gain actionable insights into your workplace experience with OfficeSpace’s Workplace Intelligence dashboards. Access real-time utilization metrics at every level across your portfolio for smart decision-making. 

Key tools for building a connected workforce

From improving communication to enhancing collaboration, these technologies ensure employees can work efficiently in the office or remotely. To recap: 

• Real-time communication platforms (Slack, Teams)
• Project management tools (Asana, Trello)
• EX features (Wayfinding, desk booking, meeting room scheduling platforms)
• Engagement tracking & feedback tools (Pulse surveys, analytics dashboards)

Future-proofing employee experience with the right technology

Companies must ensure their EX technology remains adaptable and scalable as workplace trends evolve. Investing in flexible, employee-centric tools allows businesses to anticipate workforce needs and adjust their strategies accordingly. 

Staying ahead of the curve with the right employee experience technology ensures long-term success and a thriving workforce.

Discover how OfficeSpace can help future-proof your workplace. Request a demo today.